Starting chemo July 2018

I'm so grateful for y'all.  Reading your posts keeps this journey from seeming so isolating.  

 I don't think it's fair that we are having to shave.   I'm really missing my hair.  

I have never experienced exhaustion like this before and I'm only halfway through with my TCHP.   

I'm starting to get scared about surgery even though it's still a few months out.  I'm trying to remind myself to live one day at time.

My stomach had been feeling so good after Monday’s infusion, that I guess I got too confident. For some reason pork chops with BBQ sauce seemed like a good idea yesterday...well it most certainly was not! Had terrible heartburn last night. Was so mad at myself..but today is a new day and I will definitely be more careful now. Before chemo I had never had heartburn a day in my life. I guess that’s another reason why all this can be so frustrating. I was able to do 3 miles on the treadmill yesterday 😊 Hope to do that more now because it’s always been such a good stress reliever for me. Missing my hair too. Still have most of my eyelashes and about half of my eyebrows. Read in the Taxol group those may go too though while on Taxol 😐 I hope not. Grandson of the people I worked for yesterday told me how good I look..(he’s in his 20’s) I kept thinking tell me some more lies, but it did make me feel good. Lol Stay strong 💪 ladies!

ugh I just posted and it lost my post! Let me see...

Heartburn and tummy troubles are the worst! Just like when I was pregnant too! I have started taking a probiotic called GoodBelly that seems to help a bit.

Went to the infusion center yesterday for hydration. That was a good idea if you get offered it! I did feel better afterwards.

Feeling impatient today and wishing all this was over. I know it’s one day at a time! Wish I could fast forward a bit!

Yay Gina! Glad you’re out of the hospital! And that you get a break until that last ac! Hang in there!

RoseRed, now you are way ahead of me, you are doing great! I'm just now waiting for my apppintment with MO. I'm supposed to get T+H today. Last week no Taxol, so I hope my WBC have recovered enough to get it this time.

I had a really bad weekend emotionally... I was home alone and I'm not good at being alone...

RiseRed, thank you. It was the kids missing - I am so used to have them around with zero time for myself that when they are away in this chemo-crappy situation, I simply can't cope. Too much time to think. I cried and cried... which in itself was not bad, I may have needed that.

Thans for sharing your experience with psychlogical session. I actually told my MO today about my rough few days and she suggested a psychologist they have at the centre. In fact, my MO is like a psychologist, she has wonderfull insights. I think I will make an appointment with the psychologist, when else if not now. The insurance even covers that

And yes, I got TH all right today. The MO said I have enough white and red blood cells to donate 🙂 So far I am feeling pretty normal. I did cooling of my hans and feet during Taxol. We'll see if it helps some

Thanks! I don’t feel like I’m flying through all this, but very thankful to not have any delays so far. Still feeling pretty good today. Worked all day. I started taking Prilosec again this morning to get ahead of the heartburn this round and I’m also being very careful with what I eat. Did my 3 miles on the treadmill Sunday and I feel like doing it tonight too. If it’s anything like last week, the muscle aches will be back by Friday, so I want to exercise while I still feel like it. Hoping everyone has a good week! I will be happy if I can work the next 3 days. Fingers crossed the heartburn will be less than last week.

Rose

Misha, yes, I'm trying it with the cooling. I want my nails preserved and also hope to prevent neuropathy. For that, I also take some supplements. Both the cooling and supplements I discussed with my MO and she approved. But no one has tried cooling at the cancer center before, so the MO even called to the nurses at infusion room to let them know. I think I am a weirdo for them now.

I bought gel packs for cooling. They are not expensive and easy to handle. (Some people use ice or bowls wit iced water, but that's not possible for me, since I go always alone) I also have a soft insulated picknick bag. I take two gel packs for my hands and put them with my hands inside an insulated blanket (something I had at home). I put my feet inside the picknick bag with the remaining gel packs. I wear thin socks and gloves, otherwise it would be too cold to the skin.

I do it only for the time Taxol is dripping and for some 10min. afterwards.

There's a usefull thread with tips about cooling here. It's not very long. I am following the advice given there by Calliegirl, she even posted a photo.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics/864046?page=1#idx_21

Well blah, I started running a fever 2 days ago. Called doctor yesterday when it hit 100.5. They drew blood from my port to see what’s going on and I also got to pee in a cup. Started antibiotic yesterday...probably more than likely my chemo on Monday will be delayed because I’m sick. 🙁 So frustrating when I’ve been trying so hard to avoid that, but my stubborn self can only do so much. Hopefully the antibiotic will start helping soon. Other than the fever, I’m feeling pretty good. No heartburn from hell like last week because I’ve been taking Prilosec after Monday’s Taxol, so yay for that positive at least! Hope everyone is doing well.

Rose

RoseRed, how are you doing? I hope you were ok to get your infusion today?

Misha, your 3rd Taxol today? How are you feeling?

I should be getting my 2nd Taxol tomorrow. This first cycle was uneventfull in comparison to AC... But I felt some tingling in my hands and feet. Maybe I think about it too much, but it deffinitelly was there...

Hello all, sorry I've been gone so long. I started running a fever 2 days after my 2nd Taxol and am just now getting better. Numerous blood tests, urinalysis and chest x-ray revealed nothing. Antibiotics were no help. Antiviral drugs no help either. All I can think is that this was my body having an allergic reaction to the Taxol. I spoke with another lady who had such a bad reaction to Taxol, she ended up in the hospital for over a month. I had the exact symptoms as her. Fever, racing pulse, extreme hypersensitivity to light and sound, eyes blurry. At times it just felt like my brain was on fire. I am seeing my chemo doc tomorrow and I'm telling her there will be no more Tacol going into my body, not 1 more drop and nothing else like it either. I truly was scared for my life at times during the last 2 weeks. My temp went as high as 103.7. Depending on what my doctor says, it might be time to switch doctors. I am fed up with her ignoring what I say. I want to continue treatments but no no no to Taxol. Caught myself saying last week I'd rather be on the Red Devil, so that shows you just how bad I have felt. I know that's not an option, but there has got to be something else they can put me on.

Rose

Just had a long talk with my doctor. After my telling her how I felt that all my problems from the last 2 weeks were from an allergic reaction to the Taxol, she tells me “I have another patient on Taxol with a bad skin rash, maybe we have a bad batch of drugs here" Well maybe someone needs to check into that!!! Yikes..not gonna use me as a guinea pig to figure it out either. I will only be getting Herceptin and Perjeta for next Monday's treatment. I said no to Taxotere as well. It's my body, my choice. I've talked to other women who are still suffering the effects of Taxol or Taxotere many yrs later, and it's not happening to me. I did say I was open to the idea of Abraxane. I do understand the risks if I don't continue with a taxane chemo, with the type of cancer I have the odds are greater for it coming back but hell no to Taxol, especially if there's a bad batch of it going round my cancer center...geez! It might be a good idea to consult with a lawyer just in case I do have issues later..you never know. I went with my gut on this..SO glad I did now!

Rose

Thanks JaBoo! I’m finally starting to feel like me again. It’s so good to be able to do things again. Yesterday was the first day for my temp to stay normal all day. 2 weeks of fever was just horrendous to go through! The chills and then night sweats were unreal. I was having to strip my bed at least 3 times a night and then had to do all that laundry every day, while feeling like total crap. So when the doctor tried one last time to change my mind on the Taxol..”remember these side effects are only temporary” I just kept shaking my head no no no no, and risk getting that fever back? Not getting me again. I hope you and everyone will be ok on Taxol. I had had such high hopes it’d be easier than the AC but I must be allergic to something in the Taxol.

Rose

I'm not really sure what my treatment plan is going to be right now. For now I'll be continuing with H+P and I did tell my MO I'd be open to the idea of trying Abraxane. She told me if insurance approves that drug, it would be every 3 weeks for that, but for how long I don't know. Taxol made my nails terrible. I also had terrible heartburn and mouth was sore like from the AC. Diarrhea like I'd never had before. I didn't really notice any neuropathy. I'm sorry, didn't mean to scare you about the Taxol. I must be one of the rare cases of being allergic to it, or allergic to whatever it's mixed with.

Rose